The Battle for Bahoz (13)

At first glance on the battlefield, it was possible to get the impression that Corvus had secured victory. The superior strength of the Rhazgord warriors and the deadly attacks of their cavalry seemed to overwhelm the enemy forces in an instant. But this was a misleading scene. The reality was much more complex beneath the surface.The enemy, however tired and unprepared, was proving more resilient than expected in the heat of battle. This was because they employed a strategy known to even the most inexperienced commanders: they spread themselves over a large surface area. As the enemy forces advanced through the Rhazgord lands, they did not move as a single mass, but in a long line formation. This formation greatly reduced the damage inflicted by the cavalry in combat.Of course, there was a disadvantage to this formation; it weakened the enemy line, which meant that at some point a large deficit would be created. However, enemy commanders prioritized reducing cavalry casualties through direct combat force. Cavalry attacks, while known for their striking power, were most damaging when their impact was concentrated in a narrow area. Spreading the enemy's line long and wide dispersed this concentration and minimized casualties.Although Corvus' cavalry at one point broke through the enemy lines and advanced rapidly, the enemy formation did not collapse. Their formation mitigated the impact of the waves of attack and gave the troops time to recover. This prevented the complete annihilation of the enemy forces. On the face of it, the battle seemed so close to victory, but in fact it was a balance of mistakes and strategies on both sides.Moreover, one of Corvus' greatest challenges was the composition and capabilities of its own fighters. Kaelyra's reinforcements and the bulk of Corvus' troops were elite soldiers trained in the city of Sorbaj. These soldiers were considered the pride of the Rhazgord and could display superhuman speed and strength, especially those powered by the Lightstone. However, these elite forces had a weakness: Sorbaj training focused heavily on infantry combat.These warriors could be deadly on horseback, but their true strength was on their feet, swords and axes in hand. This is why some soldiers, not experienced enough in cavalry tactics, struggled in moments of intense combat. By the time Corvus completed the third wave of charges, the results were clear to see. The Iskat cavalry, with the advantage of growing up on the vast steppes and fighting on horseback, had suffered almost no casualties. But it was not the same among Corvus' and Kaelyra's soldiers.Many warriors lost control of their horses during the fighting and fell into the enemy ranks. They were surrounded by enemy soldiers and either killed or badly wounded. These casualties exposed the weakest point of Corvus' plan: His elite forces were completely unsuitable for this kind of battle.Meanwhile, the enemy forces began to regroup and tighten their lines. Apparently, the commanders leading the enemy army were no ordinary men. They quickly adapted their defensive strategy and managed to overcome the chaos created by the cavalry's initial charge. The enemy ranks now looked much more resilient than before.Corvus realized that his plan was starting to bog down. If he did not make a finishing move quickly, the balance of the battle could tip in the enemy's favor. So he decided it was time to strike the final blow. It was time to test Kaelyra's skills and the strength of her commanders.Kaelyra and her five hundred elite warriors had already set their sights on the enemy commanders. The enemy leaders had gathered in what was considered the safest place. Tightly guarded by soldiers armed with long spears, this group was the most difficult target to attack. Corvus' plan, however, was based on capturing this elusive target.First, Corvus and Ilyada would attack the enemy commanders' position with all their might. Their aim was to create a gap in the enemy's defenses and break the line of defense. Then Kaelyra and her elite warriors would step in and try to kill or capture the commanders. If this plan succeeded, the enemy army would soon disintegrate and the war would turn completely in Corvus' favor.Corvus' anger and ambition fueled his horse as he launched the attack. He wanted to be at the forefront, to strike at the heart of the enemy with his own hand. But three Iskat cavalrymen rushed ahead of him and rode in front of him, forming a triangle formation. Corvus' brow furrowed, his anger reflected in his voice as he shouted:"Get out of my way!"But the warriors did not obey Corvus' order. They were the bearers of a strict order from Draknar: They were to protect Corvus. This attack was unlike any previous offensive. They would plunge into the enemy's strongest point of defense, and if Corvus was in the forefront, he could become a target for long spears. The three young cavalrymen had orders to become a wall of flesh.Corvus tried to overtake them, but there was no keeping up with the speed and formations of their horses. It was too late. The moment of impact was seconds away, and Corvus was unwillingly riding under their protection.The moment of impact came with a roar that shook the battlefield. It was louder than any of the previous collisions, a terrible howl as metal collided with metal, life with life. The three Iskat warriors in front of Corvus became the target of enemy spears. The spears pierced their bodies and the warriors collapsed in a pool of blood. But their sacrifice opened a path for Corvus.In a moment of blood and rage, Corvus raised his axe and sliced an enemy in two with a single blow. His eyes began to scan the enemy line, searching for his main target, the enemy commanders. As he moved across the battlefield, he focused on the screams, gasps and overturned bodies around him. Finally, his eyes found his target.But what he saw froze his blood and brought his anger to the peak. A 'black mask ' stood next to the enemy commanders. This unexpected sight cut through Corvus' mind like a knife. The black-masked figure represented both the real power behind the enemy's plans and the root cause of the betrayal at Bahoz, the death of Kragan.His vision blurred for a moment; anger, hatred and revenge burned inside him. The presence of the black-masked man reminded him that he was not only fighting the enemy, but also facing a threat that had seeped deep into the Rhazgord. Without taking his eyes off this figure, he gripped Kragan's axe tightly. This was no longer just a battle, but a showdown.Corvus forgot all his plans and went after his anger. He rode his horse towards the black-masked man, his gaze locked on his target. At every step he had to fight enemies, but his ambition and determination forced him onward. As the enemy soldiers swung their spears, the metal touched his flesh, making deep cuts and abrasions. As his blood mixed with the dust of the battlefield, each wound seemed to give him even more strength. But the crowd was too dense; Corvus found it difficult to move, his progress almost grinding to a halt.Just as he was about to be surrounded and pinned down, Kaelyra and her cavalry burst through the enemy lines like a storm. As swords and spears clashed in the air, Kaelyra and her warriors created chaos at the enemy commanders' position. For Corvus, this intervention created the space he needed. He gripped his axe tightly, pulled on the reins and galloped his horse.He was only a few meters from the man in the black mask when a shadow passed in front of his eyes. Before he could realize what had happened, his horse suddenly collapsed. Corvus lost his balance as the horse hit the ground hard, but nimbly controlled his fall and got to his feet. He was now in the middle of the battlefield, surrounded by enemies.Enemies rushed at him, but Corvus was completely focused. His eyes scanned the enemy lurking in the crowd as he deftly dodged the soldiers attacking around him. His movements were like a dance as he dodged their moves-planned, fluid and deadly. Even though he was unable to use his Lightstone energy, every muscle in his body worked in perfect harmony.A soldier swung his spear, but Corvus sensed the move. He quickly ducked to the side and avoided the spear, then drove his knee into his enemy's chest with all his might. The man collapsed, unable to breathe from the impact. At the same moment, another soldier swung his sword at Corvus' back. Almost as a reflex, Corvus spun backwards and twirled his axe; his huge axe cleaved the enemy's sword and then sliced the man in half across the chest.A group of soldiers suddenly attacked. Corvus defended the space around him by swinging his axe. Every time his axe swung, the snarl of metal and the shouts of the enemies could be heard. He delivered a fatal blow to the chest of one soldier with his axe, then, as the other soldier leapt at him, he caught him with his free hand and knocked him to the ground. The force of his hand was enough to immobilize the enemy in a moment's impact.On the battlefield, his movements accelerated even more. He dodged a spear thrust, simultaneously defending with his axe as if drawing a half-moon and knocking down the three enemies in front of him. Then, at a moment when he was caught without his axe, his fist came into play. He kicked the shield of a fallen soldier, sending it crashing into its owner's chest and knocking him several meters away.Each strike was deliberate and deadly. His eyes were constantly searching for the man in the black mask, but the enemies did not give him the chance. Every gap around him was soon filled by another enemy, and Corvus fought on in the chaos without taking a breath. He acted with his warrior instinct, responding to every attack and seizing every opportunity.At one point, an enemy soldier managed to attack him from behind. But Corvus turned at the last moment and used his elbow instead of his axe. With the force of his elbow, he struck the man in the face, causing him to collapse. Meanwhile, he saw the man in the black mask again - far away, in the chaos, watching him.Corvus' breathing quickened. His own blood was leaking from his body, merging with the blood of his enemies. The red glow in his eyes intensified. The enemies were beginning to realize that they could not stop him. Corvus moved across the battlefield like a storm of death, each step bringing him closer to the man in the black mask.Three black-masked men broke through the crowd and attacked Corvus. The men's movements were planned with deadly precision, their daggers glinting menacingly with the greenish glow of poisonous liquid. Corvus deftly dodged these attacks, but the thin wind left by the poisoned daggers left an unsettling sensation on his body. But these three men were not alone in their attacks. When enemy soldiers from the crowd joined the attack, the pressure on Corvus increased.The black-masked enemies, each an experienced killer, wasted not a single moment in their attacks, moving in perfect unison to plunge their poisoned daggers into Corvus. Corvus was able to evade these deadly attacks with his own speed and agility, but the enemies' attempts to strike were becoming more and more frequent, wearing him down. Even though his every step was calculated and every move deadly, the sheer number and agility of the enemies he faced severely challenged him.The huge axe Corvus held in his hand, though it gave him strength and intimidation, was becoming ineffective in this narrow space and the crowds of enemies surrounding him. As a warrior from Rhazgord, he was adept with an axe, but this massive weapon was a weapon of a different size and weight than any ordinary axe, a weapon he had taken with him in the circumstances of the battle to honor the memory of his friend Kragan. It was a weapon that reflected Kragan's strength rather than Corvus' style.Corvus assessed the situation for a moment. The enemy's attacks were becoming more and more coordinated, narrowing his range of movement. He realized that he could no longer continue fighting with this axe. Sensing an attack coming from behind him, he made a sudden turn, swung his axe with all his might and drove it into the chest of one of the attacking soldiers. The enormous weight of the axe threw the man backwards and pinned his body to the ground. Corvus didn't have time to pull the axe out, but he didn't need to.Corvus reached across his back and grasped his main weapons. There was a moment of silence, then two curved black swords slid from their scabbards and stepped into the light. The ancient crimson runes on the surface of the swords began to flicker and glow with a faint glow the moment they left their scabbards. It was as if the swords had come alive in Corvus' hands, thirsting for blood.These swords were no ordinary weapons. Their graceful curves and the ancient symbols on them showed that they were tied to one of the oldest traditions of the Rhazgord people. Though smaller and more elegant in appearance than the massive axe it carried, these swords were deadly at first glance. The sharp edges of the blades and the pulsating energy of the runes on them struck fear into the minds of enemies.When Corvus gripped his swords, his posture changed completely. He became more agile, more fluid and more deadly. The balance of the swords in each hand brought harmony and harmony to Corvus' fighting style.A black masked man attacked Corvus, thinking he saw an opportunity. Corvus carefully followed the trajectory of the dagger in his enemy's hand. With a graceful tilt of his body, he dodged the dagger and slipped to his enemy's side in one step. The black sword in his right hand moved like a whisper of death, reaching his enemy's neck. The sword cut his enemy's neck as fast and smooth as a stream of water.Another black masked man was wounded in the abdomen by the blow of Corvus' sword in his left hand before he even had time to prepare for the attack. Corvus turned just as quickly to his third enemy. The man had swung his dagger, but Corvus deflected the blow by swinging both swords at the same time. The sparks from his swords gave his enemy no second chance; the sword in his right hand pierced the man's chest.Now Corvus' fighting style had changed completely. Fluid, swift and deadly, he took down the enemies around him one by one. Every stroke of his sword was precise, every movement skillful. The pressure on the enemies was increasing, because they were facing not just a warrior, but a whirlwind. Each strike of the black swords shattered the enemy's morale like a frightening echo from ancient runes. Corvus was now a figure that completely dominated the battle, an unstoppable force, an artist who performed death as if it were a dance.Despite the intense pressure of the black-masked enemies, Corvus moved swiftly towards his goal. His black swords swirled around him like a whirlwind, knocking down an enemy with each blow. The landscape left behind was a pool of blood; severed limbs, crushed armor and soldiers lying on the ground with horrified expressions, silent witnesses to Corvus' advance. No ordinary soldier dared to attack him anymore. Only black-masked assassins were sacrificing themselves to cut him off, playing their last trump card to stop Corvus.As Corvus turned his attention to his target, an image cut across the battlefield like a bolt of lightning. Kaelyra's voice echoed over the roar of battle. The gaze of everyone on the battlefield involuntarily turned in the direction of the shout.Kaelyra was holding the bloody head of one of the enemy commanders in her hand, raising her sword triumphantly in the air. Her sword was glowing, inspiring courage in the warriors around her. A closer look showed that other enemy commanders were lying lifeless at her horse's feet. Kaelyra was surrounded by crushed armor and fallen flags. This was proof of the strength of the elite warriors she led; the enemy commanders had tasted death under Kaelyra's sword.This scene marked a turning point for the enemy forces. Kaelyra's triumphant cry shattered the morale of the enemy soldiers. Many soldiers, realizing that there was no point in fighting anymore, laid down their weapons and ran away. The ranking soldiers who survived tried to hold the army together, their shouts shouting orders to the fleeing soldiers. But these efforts were in vain. Kaelyra's ferocious strength and fearlessness had completely extinguished the enemy soldiers' will to fight.